130 BLAGK-BEABEB SABDINIAN WARBLER. 



resident about Cannes, at least I saw it constantly from December to 

 May. It was most common in tlie pine woods on the bills, whicb 

 are very dry, and contain underwood of broom, juniper, etc. I used 

 to see it also in the gardens nearer the sea, where it fed on the 

 berries of the arbutus, which ripen well in that country, the shrub 

 itself growing wild. I first heard its song on the 2Tth. of January, 

 but it did not get into full song till March. Its manners are just 

 like those of our Whitethroat in this respect, as the male will sing 

 from a bush, and then dart ofif in a jerking flight into the air, still 

 singing. They have also a rather harsh note, like the chut-chut of 

 the Blackcap, but louder, and repeated more frequently. I did not 

 find a nest till the 22nd. of April, when I saw one in a juniper 

 bush, among some pines on broken ground, and much exposed. It 

 contained three young birds and a rotten e^g. The nest is much 

 like that of our Common Whitethroat, being made of straw and dried 

 bents of grass, with a few roots and pine twigs, lined with fine grass 

 bents. The nest measured three inches and a half across the top; 

 depth inside two inches. The egg is nine lines long by six wide; 

 yellowish green ground, with several darker spots all over it. We 

 watched the pair of old birds for some time, and saw both come 

 with food for the young; and on one occasion, on going up to the 

 nest, the female behaved as our Partridges do, — ran along screaming 

 on the path, with her wings fluttering as if hurt — the only instance 

 of this in small birds I have ever seen myself, although I have 

 heard of it. I should suppose from the occurrence of this nest so 

 early, they have two broods in the year." 



The adult male has the forehead, vertex, and back of the head as 

 far as the nape, velvet black. This passes off" gradually into the slate- 

 blue grey of the rest of the upper parts; wings dusky black. The 

 outer tail feathers bordered and tipped with white. The throat, belly, 

 and cheeks bluish white, with the flanks darker. The first primary 

 is short; the second, third, and fourth longer and equal in size. 

 Eyelashes brick red; the naked and swollen eyelids cinnabar red. 

 Beak, tolerably large and strong, is black. Iris nut brown; feet 

 blackish brown. 



The female has the whole upper parts of the body brownish grey; 

 wing and tail feathers brownish black, with a somewhat brighter 

 edge; the white of the external tail quill is shaded with russet and 

 grey. Throat white, and rest of under parts of body whitish, tinted 

 with greyish brown; the belly still darker. Eyelids and eyelashes 

 yellowish red. 



Degland remarks that specimens he received from M. A. Malherbe, 



